58 2. Sound sleep Sound sleep for preterm babies is very crucial as it helps in their brain development. Babies often require longer periods of sleep. This is why the NICU has carefully controlled auditory and visual stimulation to not disturb the baby’s sleep. 3. Assessment and management of pain and stress Premature babies can get easily stressed with simple procedures such as feeding, diaper changing, daily care, and recording of vitals. If the baby is stressed, there can be changes in her/his breathing, oxygen levels, heart rate, and skin color. Parents, especially mothers, play a very important role in reducing the baby’s stress. The mother’s touch, skin-to-skin contact, kangaroo mother care, and breast milk help soothe the baby and impart a pain-relieving effect. Minor stress due to pain during the procedures can be managed by providing the baby with some oral sucrose or breast milk.
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